Introduction to Hebrews

Introduction to the Book of Hebrews Spring Valley Mennonite; August 11, 2019; Hebrews 1:1-4 Over the next few months, we will experience something new together as I have never preached through the book of Hebrews before. I have covered some individual passages, but not the whole book in sequence. I agree with John MacArthur as he describes studying the book a “thrilling adventure” because of the many challenging passages. Hebrews stands in a unique place in the Bible as it serves as a bridge between the Old Testament and the New, between the sacrificial system and the priesthood of the Old Testament and the complete and superior fulfillment of those systems by the Lord Jesus Christ. A fitting title for the book could be “The Superiority and Preeminence of Jesus Christ.” The book is filled with the vocabulary of comparison: the words “better”, “perfect” and “heavenly” are used frequently. The book argues conclusively that Jesus Christ in all ways is superior to the prophets, angels, Moses, the Jewish High Priest, the ministry of the priesthood, and the sacrifices specified by the Mosaic Law. It has been observed, “Everything presented is presented as better: a better hope, a better testament, a better promise, a better sacrifice, a better substance, a better country, a better resurrection, a better everything.1” Hebrews is also unique as a letter because we know neither the author nor the specific group to which it was sent. Because of the Jewish flavor of the book and the frequent references to the Old Testament, we can surmise that the book was one of the earlier New Testament letters, written during a time when the church was primarily, although not exclusively, composed of Jewish believers. The original recipients were very familiar with the Old Testament, witnessed by over 30 direct quotations and 53 clear allusions to other Old Testament passages. We can conclude that these believers were deeply steeped in Jewish worship and tradition. Most likely the letter was addressed to a group of believers in Rome, as in the conclusion we find the words “Those from Italy greet you”. This suggests that people from Rome, now settled elsewhere, were sending greetings back to their friends in Rome. Although no author is identified, from studying the book we infer that he was a dynamic preacher, as it is widely recognized that portions of the book follow the pattern of sermons delivered in the Greek-speaking synagogues, mixing exhortation with exposition. He also was very knowledgeable in the Old Testament and its interpretation, indicating a Jewish background. He was highly educated, as advanced students of the day studied the principles of rhetoric, the art of effective and persuasive speaking. Most importantly, we find the author was a deeply committed believer who was deeply concerned with the spiritual state of this group of believers. Many authors have been suggested including Paul, Apollos, Barnabus, and even Pricilla the wife of Aquila! Since no author is identified in the book, it is best to say, “Only God knows for sure.” Perhaps God hid this information from us to emphasize that the message of the book is the most important thing. What is that message? That message is that Jesus Christ is superior to anything the Old Covenant of the Law offers. He is the reality of which the Old Testament and the Old Covenant foreshadowed. Because of His superiority, believers should not yield to the temptation to compromise with lesser things, specifically to return to Judaism. It is helpful if we can place ourselves in the position of those Jewish believers who received this letter. For all their lives they had been indoctrinated in the Mosaic Law with its practices of Temple worship and the offering of sacrifices. The three yearly feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles had been deeply engrained in their lives. While the rituals and sacrifices had been robbed of much of their spiritual significance by those who held high spiritual positions in Jerusalem, to give up their Jewish tradition was very difficult. John MacArthur describes this difficulty: “It was not an easy thing for a Jew to forsake completely all his heritage, especially when he knew that much of it, at least, was God-given. Even after a Jew received the Lord Jesus Christ this was difficult. He had a traditional desire to retain some of the forms and ceremonies that had been a part of his life since earliest childhood. Part of the purpose of the book of Hebrews, therefore, was to confront that born-again Jew with the fact that he could, and should, let go of all his Judaistic trappings. But since the Temple was still standing and the priests still ministered in it, this was especially hard to do.2” This early Jewish/Christian church was also beginning to experience external pressure, both from the Jews and Romans. If a Jew became a follower of Christ, he might lose his employment if his boss was also a Jew. He would be ostracized by his family and friends. Any future family inheritance would be lost, as he would be considered “dead” to his family. Also, this letter was most likely written during the persecution instigated by the Roman Emperors. No mention is made of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, which indicates that the letter was sent before 70 A.D. when the Roman Legions leveled both Jerusalem and the Temple. It was a challenging time for the Jewish believers, and the temptation existed to try and blend the Jewish religion with Christianity, or to abandon Christianity and return to Judaism. There also was the pressure to try and not be offensive to the culture surrounding them. This is not an issue that disappeared over time but is a constant problem in all ages. We see it today as churches and believers yield to cultural pressures, attempting to escape being branded as intolerant. I would submit that the truth is always intolerant to falsehood! God’s Word is our unchanging standard and we cannot compromise because of the world’s criticism. The truth that Jesus is better than anything else remains true today. With these comments on background in mind, turn to the first chapter of Hebrews as I read the first four verses. (Read vv. 1-4) I would first point out that: I. JESUS FULFILLS THE PREDICTIONS OF THE PROPHETS REGARDING THE COMING MESSIAH In times past, God spoke: Beginning with Moses, God raised up prophets who spoke truth and warning to the nation of Israel, and by extension, to the whole world. On his own, man cannot know God. Through nature, we can sense the existence of a Creator, and to deny this is the ultimate in rebellious foolishness. This is called “Natural Revelation”. Romans 1:20 states, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Only the fool says, “there is no God.” But natural revelation is limited. While the existence of a powerful God Who created the universe is evident, how one can relate to that God remains hidden if natural revelation is all we have. The one true God is the God who speaks! We often do not realize the significance of that fact! Our God has revealed Himself as a personal God Who loves and desires a relationship with mankind. God is not silent, but has spoken, not only in general terms through creation, but in specific terms—through Special Revelation to mankind. The Bible tells about God’s special revelation to man. God’s Word is inspired, literally “God breathed.” God spoke in “in many portions and in many ways.” With Adam and Eve in the Garden, this relationship was close and personal. God walked with them in the cool of the evening, speaking with them face to face. But that relationship was broken when sin entered the picture. Our original parents were expelled from the garden and the tree of life; it was then that the principle of sacrifice was first given. Sin could be covered by a blood sacrifice, just as their bodies were covered by the skin of a slain animal. This also was evidenced by the blood sacrifice of Abel. The sin nature of Adam was passed to each of his descendants, and as the world was populated sinfulness grew to the point where God was sorry that He created man! But Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord, and mankind was preserved through a universal cleansing flood through the Ark. The sin nature remained as Noah’s sons and their descendants repopulated the earth, and in God’s divine plan He chose a single man named Abram through which to establish a nation which would communicate God’s love and redemption to the whole world. God established a covenant with Abraham to give him a specific portion of land, the land of Canaan. He promised Abraham that through his descendants, all the world would be blessed. In a miraculous way Abraham and Sarah had a child, Isaac, who in turn had a son named Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel. During a 400- year sojourn in Egypt, these 12 tribes grew in number to several million people, but a Pharaoh arose “who knew not Joseph” and enslaved God’s people. In their slavery they cried out to God, and He delivered them through Moses, who led them to Sinai where God gave Israel the covenant of the Law, along with numerous rules on how to live as God’s people. Moses was the first of many prophets through whom God spoke. John the Baptist being the last of the Old Testament Prophets. As beautiful as the Old Testament is, it is fragmentary and incomplete. Written over a period of 1500 years by over 40 authors, God spoke to man. Beginning in Genesis, then continuing throughout the rest of the 39 books Old Testament books, God’s revelation built upon itself, truth upon truth. Exodus added to the truth of Genesis, Leviticus added to Exodus, and throughout the Bible. This is called “progressive revelation.” This growing truth about God and His plan for mankind continued until the New Testament was completed. The last chapter of the Bible, the book of Revelation, completes the story as Jesus Christ takes His place as King and Lord of all. In addition to warning the nation to turn away from sin and avoid God’s judgment, the prophets prophesied of the coming of the Messiah. All the Old Testament prophesies of the Messiah, over 400 specific prophesies were fulfilled by Jesus at His first coming. When Jesus, God the Son, God-in-the-flesh came, there was no longer any need for prophets of the Old Testament order. God the Son was now on earth, bringing a whole new way of relating to God. John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” While a relationship with God had always been on the basis of grace, Jesus revealed the fullness of God’s grace and love through the cross. Looking at our text, the next thing we observe is that: II. JESUS CHRIST IS THE HEIR OF ALL THINGS Many have gotten confused by the fact that Jesus Christ is referred to as the Son of God. We naturally think in human terms of fathers and mothers and their children. The Sonship of Jesus is not like a human son who does not exist until he is born; Jesus is eternal, there never being a time He did not exist. He is fully God, as are the Father and the Spirit. The Sonship of Jesus Christ figuratively refers to His exaltation and to His place of inheritance. He is the “Firstborn” who receives all the Father has. Listen to Psalm 2:7-9: “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, Thou art my Son, Today I have begotten Thee. Ask of Me and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware. Notice in this verse that the Father is addressing His Son, who already exists, saying “Today I have begotten You!” Obviously this cannot mean that Jesus was being born, as He already existed! It is speaking of a time when Jesus will be given His inheritance of the world. All the nations will be given to the Lord Jesus as His inheritance. Psalm 89:27: “’I also shall make him My first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth.” Again, MacArthur explains, ““First-born” does not mean that Christ did not exist before He was born as Jesus in Bethlehem. It is not primarily a chronological term at all but has to do with legal rights—especially those of inheritance and authority. God’s destined kingdom will in the last days be given finally and eternally to Jesus Christ.3 In Revelation 5, the heavenly scene unfolds as the Father holds a scroll which no one but the Son is worthy to unseal. Why? Because Jesus Christ, the Son is the heir of all things. All things were created by Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16: “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him.” Jesus Christ is the legal heir of the earth. This is a major and significant meaning of Jesus being designated the Son of God. In that great and terrible Day of the Lord, as each seal of the scroll is broken, Jesus takes more and more control over the earth until the seventh seal is broken with the words, ““the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever’ ” (11:15)4 We next observe that: III. JESUS IS THE RADIENCE OF GOD’S GLORY Everyone has in his mind a picture of what God looks like. To many, God is like a grandfatherly figure, with white hair and a long flowing white beard. The Bible says that God is Spirit—what does a spirit look like? God defies description other than by His attributes: He is light, He is love, He is holy, He is all powerful. But this verse says Jesus is the manifestation of God’s glory, Jesus expresses God to us. Jesus is the light of the world and brings that light into our lives. As the light of the sun warms and illuminates the earth, we realize that light is not the sun, but comes from the sun. So, Jesus illuminates the Father—He shows forth the Father’s glory. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12)5 Jesus told His disciples, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” We see also that: IV. JESUS IS THE EXACT REPRESENTATION OF GOD’S NATURE “Exact representation” is the Greek term for the impression a signet ring makes in the wax. The impression is an exact copy of the ring, but it is not the ring itself. Jesus is the exact representation of God in human form. What is God like? He is like Jesus: loving, compassionate, kind, joyful, patient, the friend of sinners (!). He is nothing like some think, bending over the balcony of heaven ready to unleash His wrath on sinners! Colossians 1:15: “He is the image of the invisible God…” The word “image” is the Greek eikon, meaning a precise copy, an exact reproduction. Colossians 2:9: “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” Jesus Christ is fully God in every sense of the word; He is also fully man. As such only He could provide an acceptable sacrifice for sin. V. JESUS UPHOLDS ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER Colossians 1:17: “And He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.” Jesus is “the glue” that holds all things together. This applies not only to all creation, but in a spiritual sense also. He keeps things from flying apart. As believers who cling to the Lord Jesus, we acknowledge the truth of this: we know ourselves too well that without the power of the Lord Jesus giving us life, we would be like so many others whose lives are chaotic, messy and confused. Jesus in our anchor Who holds us fast in the storms of life. And to conclude, we are told that: VI. JESUS ALONE IS THE AUTHOR OF OUR SALVATION Jesus Christ made the purification of sin by His sacrifice on the Cross. Only God the Son could offer a perfect sacrifice that would satisfy the justice of God. Jesus last words on the Cross were “It is finished!”, the Greek “Toteleisti”, paid in full! And because nothing else was required to satisfy God’s Justice, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God the Father. This is just a foretaste of what we can learn about the preeminence and glory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We will save the exposition of verse 4 until next week when we speak of how Jesus is better than angels.